Original article via Flight Global.
Business jet deliveries were up 7% in Q3 CY19 when compared to the same period last year.
According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) report, 183 business jets were delivered in Q3 2019, 12 more than the 171 delivered in the same period the previous year.
Of mention was the new Pilatus PC24 (pictured) up 83%.
As our membership continues to grow (effectively doubled this month alone) it’s been entertaining watching old habits of our members. The biggest one is automatically booking flights from Sydney’s Mascot Airport when in fact said member may live closer or equidistant to Sydney Metro / Bankstown.
This article, however, isn’t about the member who lives closer to Bankstown. This article is about the member who lives right near Mascot Airport.
Jamie booked his semi private flight on our app for The Fleetwood Mac concert in Melbourne (lucky him).
We activated his flight, and got everything organised in the background including aircraft selection, gourmet catering and slots at Mascot Airport. As this jet was based in Bankstown we needed to organise the positioning of the jet in time for pickup.
Things were looking great till the night before. Sydney Airport informed our operator that we lost our slot due to expected single runway operations and that there would be no room for us, as the capacity of Sydney will be halved.
Jamie would now need to depart Bankstown, as we couldn’t position to Sydney for the pickup.
For a guy who lives 15min from T3 drop-off, and 30 mins from Sydney Metro Airport Jamie wasn’t too thrilled with this news but agreed to travel with an open mind because the alternative of flying commercial was going to be far more painful.
Although it seemed a disadvantage, because of single runway operations, we felt he’d save hours overall for driving just that little bit further (plus our pricing is cheaper ex Sydney Metro). We were right.
Jamie arrived at the lounge at 10:45 and was wheels up by 10:55 landing in Melbourne a little over 70 minutes later. No slots, no long taxiing, no waiting.
While Jamie was en-route I sent him a screen grab of FlightRadar24 that showed the queue to depart Sydney as he departed Bankstown. I counted around 14 waiting.
Add that to the fact Melbourne were holding traffic inbound as well (Jamie’s flight was untouched all the way to Essendon) proved that on this particular day we saved Jamie in excess of 2 hours. If he had of flown commercial there was a greater chance of his flight being cancelled, and if it did go ahead the delays were not looking pretty on the flight board.
“They just simply don’t care about customers”.
“Their customer service product is infuriating”.
“Less personality than a fence post”.
We’d love to claim credit for that last one, but these are real reviews by passengers who have had enough of the commercial airlines.
Luckily at Airly we don’t have passengers, we have members.
What this means is our travel product has been designed to not only get you from A to B safely and quickly, but to also provide the most incredible experience from start to finish.
Our member care team are fast and innovative with problem solving, and no request or concern is ever too much.
We only work with the best operators available who extend the Airly service and attention you deserve.
Your gourmet in flight catering is delivered fresh from the kitchen and caters for all kinds of dietary restrictions.
With the tap of a button you can supplement your flight with car or helicopter transfers.
Our goal is to deliver the best of service and experience each and every trip.
We won’t accept anything less.
It’s time the airlines stop taking you for granted.
To us, you’re not an inconvenience, you’re a valued part of our air travel revolution.
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The 19th of January marked the final delivery of the Gulfstream G450 private jet. Since 2005, the G450 (formally known as the GIV-SP) was part of a thirty year legacy of the GIV family. Over 900 GIV-era airframes were delivered over the past thirty years. But what now for Gulfstream?
The announcement of the G500 private jet resulted in the decay of G450 sales leading to the cessation of manufacturing. Costing around $45m USD, the G500’s popularity continues to grow with operators such as Qatar Executive and Flexjet making orders. The interior of the G500 is immaculate with a maximum capacity of 19 passengers, state of the art high-speed internet capability and the finest level of detail you can find in the market.
Gulfstream also continue to push innovative boundaries via the larger G600 and G650/650ER private jet.
Signals showed a growth in sales momentum following far from prosperous delivery figures in 2016. “The G650 boasts a 24-month backlog at current production rates. The G550 has a roughly 12-month backlog” says Jason Aitken, senior vice-president and chief financial officer at General Dynamics.
Bombardier have come out swinging as they gear up to deliver their newest private jet, the Global 7000, to customers by the end of 2018. Despite the whopping price tag of $93m, reports state that the waiting list is now four years long.
In what appears to be a clash of the titans, Gulfstream have comfortably held the ‘world’s private jet‘ crown for some time with the delivery of the G650 but it is the capability and offering of the Global 7000 that could make things interesting.
Boasting the longest range in the market of 13,700km the Global 700 would comfortably fly direct from San Fran to Sydney. It’s also nimble enough to land at London City Airport. And the cabin is in a class of its own. With a maximum capacity of 19 passengers you’re guaranteed the greatest of luxury on board with the world’s fastest in-flight internet, four living sections, a master bedroom featuring a large double bed and ensuite bathroom.
The long haul private aviation market is always interesting to watch and much like the hype generated for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner expect to see quite the competition between the two major private jet manufacturers.